Pedir Conjugation: Pido, Pidió, Pida and Every Tense (Chart)

Pedir means "to ask for" or "to order" something. It's an e→i stem-changing verb: pido, pides, pide, pedimos, pedís, piden. The change also shows up in the preterite third person (pidió, pidieron), the whole present subjunctive (pida) and the gerund (pidiendo).

Pedir Conjugation Chart

Indicative: present, preterite and imperfect

Future, conditional and present perfect

Subjunctive

Commands (imperative)

Gerund: pidiendo (estoy pidiendo) · Past participle: pedido (he pedido)

What Makes Pedir Irregular

Pedir keeps the regular -ir endings, so the challenge is knowing when the stem vowel changes from e to i:

• Present: in every form except nosotros and vosotros: pido, pides, pide, piden but pedimos, pedís.
• Preterite: only in the third person: pidió and pidieron. The yo form stays pedí.
• Present subjunctive: in every form, including nosotros: pida, pidamos, pidáis.
• Gerund: pidiendo, so the progressive is estoy pidiendo.

The future (pediré), conditional (pediría) and imperfect (pedía) are regular. Servir, repetir, seguir, vestir and medir follow the same pattern: sirvió, repitieron, sigue.

How to Use Pedir

English "to ask" splits into two Spanish verbs:

• Pedir means to ask for something or to request: pedir un favor (to ask for a favor), pedir la cuenta (to ask for the check).
• Preguntar means to ask a question: Le pregunté la hora (I asked him the time).

Don't add "por" after pedir when it means "ask for." Pido un café is "I'm ordering a coffee." Preguntar por exists, but it means to ask about someone: Tu madre preguntó por ti.

To ask someone to do something, use pedir + que + subjunctive: Te pido que me escuches means "I'm asking you to listen to me."

Common Expressions With Pedir

Pedir in Example Sentences

• Siempre pido la misma pizza. (I always order the same pizza.)
• Ella pidió una ensalada y yo pedí sopa. (She ordered a salad and I ordered soup.)
• Los niños pedían caramelos en cada tienda. (The kids kept asking for candy in every shop.)
• Te pediré un taxi. (I'll order you a taxi.)
• El profesor nos pide que lleguemos a tiempo. (The teacher asks us to arrive on time.)
• ¿Qué estás pidiendo? (What are you ordering?)

Common Mistakes With Pedir

• "Pedió" instead of pidió. The preterite third person changes e to i: pidió, pidieron.
• "Pidimos" in the present. The present nosotros form is pedimos. Only the subjunctive uses pidamos.
• Using preguntar to request something. "Pregunté un café" is wrong; say pedí un café.
• Adding "por." "Pedí por la cuenta" is wrong; say pedí la cuenta.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is pedir a stem-changing verb?

Yes. Pedir changes e to i in the present (except nosotros and vosotros), the third-person preterite (pidió, pidieron), the whole present subjunctive (pida), and the gerund (pidiendo).

What is the preterite of pedir?

Pedí, pediste, pidió, pedimos, pedisteis, pidieron.

What's the difference between pedir and preguntar?

Pedir is to ask for or request something (pedir ayuda). Preguntar is to ask a question (preguntar la hora).

What is the gerund of pedir?

The gerund is pidiendo, as in Estoy pidiendo la cena (I'm ordering dinner).

Keep Practicing

The quiz below mixes pronouns and tenses from the chart above. For more practice, these guides pair well with pedir:

• Decir Conjugation: Digo, Dije, Dicho and Every Tense (Chart)
• Pensar Conjugation: Pienso, Pensé, Piense and Every Tense (Chart)
• Spanish Subjunctive Made Simple: A Complete Guide
• Master basic spanish grammar: Quick Rules for Fluent Spanish